The Hungarian Data Steward Meeting series has a long history; on September 2 - exactly two years after the first event - members of the data steward community in Hungary gathered for the eleventh time to exchange experiences, listen to one another, and offer mutual support.
The meeting, attended by more than 40 people, brought together data stewards, librarians, research support staff, researchers, instructors, students, IT specialists, technicians, and other staff members from numerous Hungarian research institutes, universities, museums, archives, and libraries.
At the event, Júlia Egyed-Gergely (ELTE TK) welcomed the attendees, after which three consecutive, engaging presentations gave participants a glimpse into the inner workings and activities of the Hungarian Heritage House. First, Árpád Maczelka, head of Collections Department, spoke about the institutional background, the structure of the Hungarian Heritage House, its vision, methodology, and target audience, as well as the treasures of the museum, the specialized libraries, and the archives. Following this, Natália Zagyva, head of Database Department, gave an engaging presentation on the Folklore Archive, covering efforts to modernize collection management, the steps taken so far and the lessons learned, as well as future opportunities and goals. The presentation was also delivered at the 2026 Networkshop conference and can be found in the conference proceedings. Finally, Dániel Antal, head of Reprex BV, spoke about the problems and issues surrounding interoperability - legal, organizational, semantic, and technical - between data sharing and services, covering a spectrum ranging from the folklore archive to Spotify, discussing potential solutions, and presenting the in-house developed Betwixt system.
Following the presentations and the discussion that followed, interested data stewards were able to tour the building’s unique exhibition, “Tulip & Sage - Gardens, Centuries, Folk Art,” led by Szilvia Czingel, Head of Museum Hungarian Applied Folk Art Museum. In the exhibition space filled with the chirping of birds, participants learned, among other things, about the concept of the “healing museum,” admired the floral and plant motifs on various garments, furniture, and ceramics, and view a full-length women’s Matyó dress sewn from the roots of wheatgrass grown in a 3D-printed mold, as well as touch a sample of the garment.
After visiting the thematic museum, the most determined visitors were granted access to the Folklore Archive itself, where, guided by Péter Molnár, head of the Folklore Archive, they could view and learn about the most modern tools for digitizing film, images, and sound, the digitization processes, and methods for the safe, long-term storage of physical collections.
The event was one of the most vibrant in the Data Steward Meeting series, and the venue was one of the most unique. The Hungarian Heritage House is home to several exhibitions, a library, and collections, and regularly organizes special programs for the general public. One of the upcoming events will be the Heritage House Days 2026.
The aim of the Data Steward Meeting series is to provide an opportunity for Hungarian data stewards to meet informally, talk, get to know each other, and discuss the latest news, events, trends, and issues in the field. The series, which brings together Hungarian data stewards is open to anyone interested. The next event is expected to take place in the second half of fall 2026. For the exact date and location, please contact @email. The organizers look forward to seeing all interested data stewards at future events!
Summaries on previous meetings can be found here.
Thumbnail: Júlia Egyed-Gergely (ELTE TK, HUN-REN ARP)
Photos: Júlia Egyed-Gergely (ELTE TK, HUN-REN ARP), Ákos Lencsés (ELTE NYTK), Éva Páll (Hungarian Heritage House), Zoltán Tóth (HUN-REN SZTAKI)